Verbena Plant named &#39;DUEVERWICNEO&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Dueverwicneo’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; and red purple, lighter red purple and white-colored flowers; flowers held above and beyond the foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEVERWICNEO’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbenaplant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Dueverwicneo’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact and early-flowering Verbenaplants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 2014 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selectionof Verbena hybrida identified as code number VV12-002442-004, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection ofVerbena hybrida identified as code number VV13-005818-003, not patented,as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progenyof the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environmentin Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2016.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2016has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Dueverwicneo’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Dueverwicneo’ as a new and distinct Verbenaplant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   5. Red purple, lighter red purple and white-colored flowers;        flowers held above and beyond the foliar plane in mounded        umbels.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parentselection primarily in plant habit as plants of the new Verbena are morecompact than plants of the female parent selection. In addition, plantsof the new Verbena and the female parent selection differ in flowercolor as plants of the female parent selection have flowers that arepurple and white in color.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parentselection primarily in plant habit as plants of the new Verbena are morecompact than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena Xhybrida ‘Flagdena’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,438. Inside-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Verbena differ primarilyfrom plants of ‘Flagdena’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena are more compact than plants of        ‘Flagdena’.    -   2. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Flagdena’ differ in flower        color as flowers of plants of ‘Flagdena’ are more pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Verbena plant.

The photograph is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of‘Dueverwicneo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 22-cm containers during the summerin a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under culturalpractices typical of commercial Verbena production. During theproduction of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. andlight levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time threeweeks after planting and were ten weeks old when the photograph and thedescription were taken. In the description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘Dueverwicneo’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena            hybrida identified as code number VV12-002442-004, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena            hybrida identified as code number VV13-005818-003, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate            temperature and age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit;            freely branching habit with about seven primary lateral            branches with secondary lateral branches potentially forming            at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development;            dense and bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous growth            habit.        -   Plant height.—About 22 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 50 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 24 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 3.5 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.9 cm.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Color.—Close to 146C.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Width.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Lobed.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A; venation,            close to 146A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 146B; venation, close to 146B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 2.6 mm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in            hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding;            numerous umbels per plant; flowers face upward or outwardly            depending on position in the umbel; freely flowering habit            with about 12 to 30 flowers per inflorescence and about 230            to 270 flowers developing per plant.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            the spring through the fall in Germany; plants begin            flowering about eight weeks after planting.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on            the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.8 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.6 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.            Shape: Oval to tubular. Color: Close to 60D.        -   Flowers.—Appearance: Salverform, five-parted fused corolla.            Diameter: About 1.4 cm. Depth: About 2.1 cm. Throat            diameter: About 1 mm. Tube length: About 8.2 mm.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.            Petal lobe length: About 6 mm. Petal lobe width: About            4.6 mm. Petal lobe shape: Obovate. Petal lobe apex:            Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal lobe,            when opening, upper surface: Close to 61A, 61C and NN155D.            Petal lobe, when opening, lower surface: Close to 62D and            61D. Petal lobe, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 61B,            N66B and NN155D; color becoming closer to 86C with            development. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower surface: Close            to 69C and 69A. Throat: Close to 145C. Tube: Close to 145D.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused            sepals. Sepal length: About 1 cm. Sepal width: About 1 mm.            Sepal shape: Ligulate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin:            Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent,            coarse. Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146B            and 145C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to            144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement:            About four per flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther            length: About 0.5 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color:            Close to N144B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close            to 1B. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:            About 1.52 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted; fimbriate. Stigma            color: Close to 144A. Style length: About 1.47 cm. Style            color: Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Fruits and            seeds: Fruit and seed development has not been observed on            plants of the new Verbena.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena    plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Dueverwicneo’as illustrated and described.